“Terminator” Arnold Schwarzenegger had an unexpected meeting with NRA guru Wayne LaPierre while in New York to promote his new movie, the no-holds-barred shoot-’em-up Western “The Last Stand.”

The former California governor bumped into LaPierre, the vocal executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, at Upper East Side eatery Nello at lunchtime yesterday.

Spies said LaPierre “made a beeline” for Arnie when he spotted the Governator seated at another table.

One told us, “They talked for 10 minutes. Many in the restaurant wondered if Wayne was trying to recruit Arnold for the NRA cause.”

Interestingy, LaPierre, who has stridently opposed any assault-weapon ban, seems to have hired Lou Palumbo, who describes himself on TV as a former NYPD detective, to protect him from any possible attackers. A witness told us, “There was a wire in Lou’s ear. It was clear he was providing security.”

Palumbo runs the Elite Agency, a firm that has provided security for the Oscars, the Vanity Fair Oscar party and Prince Albert of Monaco. He is also a TV “gun expert” and appears on CNN.

A source close to Schwarzenegger told us, “They talked for a few minutes. The governor encouraged Wayne to continue to work to find a solution in the current gun debate.”

Schwarzenegger, who said in 2003, “I’m for gun control. I’m a peace-loving guy,” now sounds more neutral, saying he doesn’t think there’s a parallel between film and real-world gun violence.

“I personally feel that this is entertainment,” Schwarzenegger said this week. “The other thing is a serious real-life tragedy . . . but at the same time, we all have a responsibility, I think, to improve the situation that we are in.”

Citing the importance of parenting, education security and gun laws in considering the issue, he said, “We as a society have the responsibility to look at this and leave no stone unturned.” His rep declined to comment last night.